Compassion Tour

This week has gone nothing like I expected.  This is our last full week before school starts next Tuesday.  I had ideas of lots of fun stuff to do with the kids to end our summer well.  That was before Lauren broke her arm(mark off all the fun water/messy ideas that were on my list).  That was also before I came down with the ultimate coughing sickness.  It started last Friday.  I did pretty well through the weekend.  After a sleepless Sunday night, I got up on Monday morning feeling like a truck had hit me.  I don't think I have stopped coughing for more than 5 minutes since Sunday night.  My stomach muscles are sore from coughing.  What I thought was croup(and may have actually been that) has mutated into something exhausting and horrific(mark off many other ideas on my list because I don't have the energy to do them).  

To top it off, I have been in 5 different doctors offices between Monday and Wednesday for various kid checkups.  I am still completing school supply and uniform shopping.  It is so hard to find school uniforms that my kids are comfortable in!  That doesn't leave much time for fun or rest!! 

All of that to say, I am exhausted.  I need sleep.  I have 6 kids who are going stir crazy.  I can't seem to fight off this sickness.  I cannot even begin to sift through the pics and do a post about Family Camp, so I am going back to last week to catch up on some things I missed.  

I took the kids to Compassion International to take the free tour that they offer.  We have this amazing organization right in our town.  We should have taken advantage of this long ago.  

Outside the Compassion building

(I gave up on trying to get a "nice" picture)

 Isaiah in Jesus' lap (he looks so innocent here)

 Laila dancing with a statue

 Cody doing "buddy Jesus" with the Jesus statue

 This was a really cool part of the tour.  They had a mock setup of a typical homestead in a 3rd world country that the kids could go in.  It was built the same size as many homesteads.  It was eye opening for our kids who have not been to Swaziland yet.

 It cracked me up to take their pic with their juice boxes in the homestead.  Crazy Americans!

 Throughout the tour, we learned of Compassion's ministries around the world.  We saw pictures the kids have drawn, heard some personal stories of kids, saw the people at work processing letters, and saw a quick video.  My favorite part came at the end.  They had a replica of one of their care centers in Africa.  We were able to walk in and see what the children would experience through Compassion's ministries.  It was so cute, when Isaiah went in,  he said, "Is this really Africa?"  He immediately grabbed instruments and began dancing around the room.  It brought tears to my eyes because I know that is exactly what he would be doing if he was in one of those centers in Africa.

 Laila found a baby to play with

 The kids were allowed to play and touch anything in the room.  I wish I had taken a picture of the whole room, but I didn't think about it at the time.  They also had a big screen TV with some of their African children singing and dancing.  Sam was playing an instrument, too!

 We ended our time with some frozen yogurt at I Top It.  It was delish!